Monday, March 30, 2015

Daegu has numerous themed streets, which
group similar things together in one area for the convenience of residents of
the city. Of all the themed—like herb medicine street, culture street, etc.—why
would you ever want to go to one called “industrial tool street”? Let me give
you two reasons, neither involving power tools: the street is home to a parking
lot full of beautiful murals as well as a lovely tea house.

First off, where the heck is this random
street? Bukseong Industrial Tools Street is relatively close to downtown, just
between Jungangno and Daegu Station on the subway. Go out exit 4 of Jungangno
Station and walk straight for about five minutes. Bukseong Industrial Tools
Street will be your second left. From Daegu Station, go out of the exit 1 or 2
so that you are standing in front of the Lotte Department Store and train
station section of Daegu Station. There will be a large building across the
street from Lotte to your left. That is the Daegu Civic Center. Cross the
street once so that you are standing in front of, and on the same side of the
road as, the Civic Center. Then cross the street to your left and continue
walking down that road for 2 minutes. Industrial Tool Street will be on your
first right. Additionally, you can take the 706, 730, Rapid Line 2, 410-1, 704,
303-1, 349, 503, 623, Donggu 1-1, Bukgu 2, and 202, headed in the direction of
Banwoldang, to the bus stop called “Gyeongsang-Gamyeong Park.” Get off the bus
and go to your right. Industrial Tools Street will be the first street on your
left.

Just two minutes down the
street on your right there will be a small parking lot. It would be completely
unassuming except for the fact that all the walls of the outdoor parking lot
are covered in beautiful, large murals. If you are an art appreciator, it is
definitely worth taking a little trip to check these out (stop by on the way to
nearby Daegu Art Factory). All the murals depict different images and are very
stylistically different, so it is clear that there were many artists involved.
The artists’ faces are painted on one of the interior walls of the lot. Make
sure to actually walk into the parking lot because there are murals on walls
you can’t see when you’re standing outside. The largest mural at the entrance
to the parking lot features a large, white elk standing on the moon. The
background is black with beautiful rainbow colors running behind the elk.
Another has a chicken pecking at a pile of old cell phones. The word “Wonderful”
is colorfully painted on the back wall of the lot. There isn’t, at least in
English, an explanation as to why the murals are in this lot, but they are
lovely to look at still; a little bit of beauty in an otherwise undeveloped
part of town.

Bukseong Street is quite old, and, unlike
most of these old streets, it hasn’t been changed much in the years since
Japanese occupation. Walking along the street, you may get the feeling that you’ve
gone back in time. There aren’t any big buildings or chain stores. It is
definitely not as bustling as the major streets nearby. But just a few minutes
further down the street and on your left, you will get to a coffee shop and tea
house that has preserved history in a really interesting way. Samduck is built
inside of a Japanese-style building that is a remnant of Japanese occupation. There
aren’t many of these buildings left, probably due to Korean sentiment toward
the occupation, so Samduck boasts a really unique ambiance.

The exterior of the shop is white with light
wood details. Because of the history of the building, Samduck sells postcards
with pictures of the exterior. Once
inside, watch your step because you have to step up to order from the counter
at the center of the first floor of the building. The counter and staff area
are like their own private room almost. There are a few seats in the front and
back of the shop, but the majority of the seating is upstairs. To access the
second floor, you have to walk outside to the small back courtyard and go up
the stairs. At one time, there was a staircase inside, but it was removed for
functionality of the patrons. Outside the door of the second floor, you’ll find
an information board, written in Korean, detailing the history of the building.
The upper floor has a few tables with comfortable, vintage-looking chairs as
well as a small floor-seating area. It is a very relaxing space to have a drink
and chat with friends.

As far as the menu goes, Samduck offers the
same beverage list as most other coffee shops with, perhaps, a few additions.
There are tons of coffee and tea drinks, but the menu is written only in
Korean. If you can’t read Korean, order something that they usually have at
other coffee shops. It is more than likely that Samduck also has it. Smoothies
are quite large and are served in mason jars with handles. You can get typical
flavors as well as more exotic ones, like citron, one of the four original
citrus fruits. If you’re not a coffee drinker, try the delicious rooibos tea
latte. If you’d like a little snack to go with your drink, Samduck has some
tasty cookies near the register as well as some larger dessert items, like waffles
and cheesecake.

Samduck serves patrons delicious beverages
and snacks with a personal touch. The staff are very friendly and attentive.
You won’t feel like you are just another customer at any old chain coffee shop.
It is a place to rest, relax, and appreciate the historical building you are
sitting in.

Friday, March 27, 2015

Daegu metropolitan city government is inviting foreign blog press and online supporters who will help run Daegu social media international channel(blog and facebook of 'Touch Daegu') and promote it.
We want people to work with passion and interests in online social activity.
Apply now and make 'Touch Daegu' together!

-Applying Period:March 30(Mon), 2014 - April 10(Fri), 2015-How to Apply: Fill out the attached application form and e-mail us to (globaldaegu@gmail.com) : Save the name of your application file as 'Daegublogpress_yourname.doc' or 'Daeguonlinesupporters_yourname.doc'-Working Period: May 1, 2015 ~ April 30, 2016-Announcement:17th of April, 2015(Fri), the recruiting result will be notified individually and posted on our blog and facebook as well★Download the application forms here:http://bit.ly/1D4jji1 Blog Press-Requirement -Foreigners who are currently living in Daegu (Applicant's visa should be valid until April, 2016) -Those who have one or more digital multimedia devices of their own (digital camera, digital camcorder, etc.). -Those who currently runs their own blog and/or facebook -Those who are able to go out to cover stories at least one day per month and to submit appropriate articles for 'Touch Daegu' on a weekly basis. -The Volume of Recruitment:5 People-Activities -Write more than 3 articles each month -Participate in appointment ceremony & workshop(once) and group reporting days(4 times)-Benefit -Paid for writing submissions (Maximum 60,000KRW per each month/performance-based) -Given a priority in invitation at the events held by Daegu government-Starting Ceremony -a.m 9:30 April 25(Sat), 2nd floor Meeting Room, Daegu City Hall(Right after the ceremony an overnight workshop will be followed.)※ Attendance the ceremony required. Online Supporters-Requirements -Foreigners who are currently living in Daegu -Those who are Actively using social media including facebook -Those who have mobile devices available for realtime communication-The Volume of Recruitment:20 people-Activities -Do online activity related to 'Touch Daegu' blog and facebook(e.g. Comments on the blog and facebook page, Sharing articles or statements, Inviting friends to the facebook page, Delivering the latest news about Daegu, etc.) -Participate in the main events hosted by Daegu government -Accomplish monthly mission which are updated on the private facebook group of 'Touch Daegu'-Benefit -Given a priority in invitation at the events held by Daegu government-The most remarkable supporter will be rewarded (10,000KRW mobile gift certificates per each month)-Staring Ceremony - Expecting in early May. 10th floor Conference Room, Daegu City Hall※ Attendance the ceremony required.

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Let's say, you
want to go somewhere to experience something UNIQUE. What if, however, the last
cold snap bothers you? Or what if you run out of money at the end of the month?
I would like to drag you to a fantastic place which provides you an indoor free
event this upcoming Saturday, 28th March.

On last Saturdays
each month, a Flea Market, called Art Factory Market, is held at Daegu Art
Factory. It is hosted by both artists and citizens. This is a great chance to
see unique hand craft products. If you want to join the Art Factory Market as a
seller, fill out an application available on the internet in the last week of
the month. The application for April sellers is going to be uploaded on the official
website and blog soon!

Especially, this
month, Daegu Art Factory provides a dance performance of a very noted painting.
Have you watched any 3D performance based on any well-known paintings? This
Saturday, Rainbow Performance Group 'AIKO' will show "The Gleaners",
one of the famous paintings of Millet, with dancing. Performers wear exactly
the same clothing from the painting and they reproduce the meaning of masterpiece
with a storytelling. It is meaningful to "feel" the masterpiece via 3D
instead of a flat paper. After the 3D performance of famous painting,
performers change their costumes to a Thailand traditional dress, and show you a
Thailand traditional dance within the frame just like a moving painting in the
Harry Potter movie. This unique performance would give you a full-of-energy and
artistic atmosphere.

I know, now, you are writing "Art Factory Market" down in your planner for this Saturday's schedule :) Following is the information about how to get there and time schedule of each event.

Friday, March 20, 2015

There are a few
great places to grab other ethnic food choices in town, but sometimes eating

something
different also means spending more of your paycheck.

Ever get a craving
for Indian food but don’t want to break the bank? Check out Taj Mahal in Korea in Sinmae!

The Taj Mahal
opened last fall and offers all your favorites: plenty of chicken, lamb, and
pork curries; garlic,
honey, and plain naan; and sohan papdi and gulab jamun, traditional Indian desserts. Taj
Mahal has an extensive menu with tons of choices. They even have a special
lunch set menu on
weekdays from 11:30~3:30!

Prices run in the
9,900 won ~ 14,000 won range. My personal favorite is the chicken tikkamasala with garlic
naan. If you’re curious about the dessert, I recommend trying the sohan papdi with ice cream.
Sohan papdi is made from a variety of nuts and is a mildly sweet, fibrous
snack.

It was a little
drier than I anticipated, though I enjoyed it. Next time, I will definitely try
it with the ice cream
offering.

■ Location and
Hours:

11:30 AM – 10:00
PM

567-21
Sinmae-dong, Suseong-gu, 2nd Flr.

070-7719-1686

■ How do you get to
Taj Mahal in Korea?

- On the subway:
Take the green line to Sinmae Station. Come out Exit 5 and walk straight ahead until you see a
Dunkin’ Donuts on your right. Step into the building entrance directly to the
left of the Dunkin’ and
up the stairs to the second floor.- On the bus: Take
bus 309, 349, 449, 509, 649, 724, 840, 909, or Suseong 2 and get off at Sinmae Square.
Walk straight ahead until you see a Dunkin’ Donuts on your right. Step into the building entrance
directly to the left of the Dunkin’ and up the stairs to the second floor.

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

What makes you feel the spring is coming? Raised temperature or thin clothing? I would say going to the cherry blossom festival is what you want to do as a start of spring. If it sounds attractive, please focus on following information about 83 Tower Starlight Cherry Blossom Festival.

83 Tower Starlight Cherry Blossom Festival will be held at E-world, a symbolic theme park of Daegu, from March 20th to April 14th, 2015. Thousands of pink flower trees welcome you along with the road from the gate of E-world to the 83 Tower. Including various events during the days, awesome Luminarie lights are waiting for you with 8.3 million light bulbs at night. It is a good chance to experience beautiful and romantic spring of 2015. ‘Besides, E-world has a so called early-bloom cherry tree which predicts when the rest of other pink flowers blossom in Daegu. People believe that if the cherry blossoms of the tree start to bud, the rest cherry trees in Daegu will bloom in less than one week. Believe it or not, the story has been told for 20 years at E-world. Why don’t we check whether the tale is true or not in this spring!

Friday, March 13, 2015

Since
posting about a laser clinic in Daegu that my friends and I started going to
last year, I’ve received several comments and questions asking for details
about the place. I thought I’d address all those questions at once and write a
more formal post about the laser clinic I go to for the Touch Daegu blog, so
here it goes.

The
clinic is called the Raon Clinic, and it is located up in Chilgok. The prices
are very low, especially when compared to those in the USA. The pricing all
includes five treatments, one per month for five months. Underarms cost about
30,000 won, lower legs cost about 160,000 won, and the bikini line costs
210,000 won. The prices are subject to change and may fluctuate by a few
thousand won, but, again, these prices include five treatments. I’m sure they
would be open to doing laser on other parts of the body, but you would have to
speak to the doctor about pricing for those areas.

The
doctor at the clinic speaks fairly good English and can explain the procedure
to you in English. Before your first treatment, especially for larger sections
of your body, the doctor may have a meeting with you in his office. He will
take some close-up photos of your hair and discuss the laser procedure and
methods a bit. Please be aware that the darker and thicker your hair is, the
more effective the laser procedures are. The doctor makes it very clear at the
start that many foreigners need to come back for a second course of five treatments.
After five procedures, you should have about 70% of your hair removed, and
after 10, you should have 90% removed.

The
nurses, who also run the front desk and make appointments, do not speak
English. But even with limited communication skills, you can make your future
appointments with them easily enough in person. They usually make your next
appointment as you check in for the current one. All your appointments will go
the exact same way. Depending on which parts of your body you are having laser on,
you will be asked to change into either a strapless robe and/or a pair of baggy
shorts so that none of your clothes get dirty. The nurses will then shave
whichever areas you are having the laser on. When the doctor comes in, the
nurse will apply a gooey gel that will help protect your skin from the laser,
and she will also give you dark glasses to put on to protect your eyes. The
laser treatment itself takes less than 10 minutes. You may experience a little
bit of discomfort, such as stinging or heat, but it should not be very intense.
If you are having your legs done, you will need to go into the back room and
sit under a light that is meant to cool and heal your skin for 10 minutes after
the procedure is complete. If you are having your arm pits or another small
area done, you will not need to do this. It is quite a short and simple
treatment, and the doctors and nurses at Raon Clinic are very nice and helpful.

To
make an appointment, please have a Korean-speaking person call 053-654-0278. As
previously mentioned, the nursing staff who run the front desk really don’t
speak English, so you will not be able to make an appointment in English over
the phone. They don’t seem to like taking appointments any later than 6pm, but
getting there by 6pm from the Sangin area hasn’t been a problem for me, and
Sangin is quite a bit further south than Chilgok.

There
are several buses that go to the area of the Raon Clinic. From Banwoldang
station exit 10 (take a left as you exit the station and the bus stop is right
near the Paris Baguette), I take the rapid line 2 to chilgokGreenville 3-cha. Additional
buses that stop at this bus stop are the 706, Chilgok 2, and 939. The walk to
the clinic from the bus stop is only about 5 minutes. Go to the right as you
get off the bus and walk to the crosswalk. Cross the street so that you are in
front of the Paris Baguette and then cross the street again so that you are
diagonal from where you were first. Continue walking straight from there. You
will have to cross the street three further times as you walk straight before
you get to the street that the Raon Clinic is on. When you pass a fruit shop on
the corner, you will not need to cross the street anymore. The Raon Clinic is
just a few doors down from the fruit shop. You will see a pink sign on the side
of a building to your right that says “라온” on it in Korean. You
have to walk under the overhang of a small parking area of that building to get
to the door. Go into the building, and walk down a small hallway to the right.
Either take the elevator or walk up the stairs to the second floor, and the
Raon Clinic will be directly in front of you. Additionally, their business card
says that you can take the Chilgok 1 to the yeongnamneovill bus stop, which is
directly across from the clinic. Either way, please use the Daegu Bus
Information website (available in English) to plan the trip to either bus stop
from your area.

I
hope this article has helped the foreign women of Daegu find a good place to
get laser hair removal. It is well worth it to get laser hair removal done in
Korea where the prices are extremely low, and the Raon Clinic provides patients
with a comfortable office and friendly staff. So check out the Raon Clinic if
you are interested in getting laser hair removal.

Monday, March 9, 2015

The World Water
Forum is the world's largest meeting on water. Every three years since 1997,
the World Water Council (WWC) has held each World Water Forum on or around
World Water Day (March 22nd). The World Water Forum consists of at least three
processes: the Political Process, the Thematic Process and the Regional Process,
while gathering officials, legislators and local and regional authorities from
more than 150 nations. Each topic is developed in cooperation with the private
sector, governments, industry, IGOs, NGOs and academic groups into a common
framework of goals and concrete targets to reach.

Started from the 1st World Water
Forum in Marrakesh, Morocco, The World Water Forum has been held every three
years since 1997. Daegu got the opportunity to be a host for the 7th World
Water Forum in 2015. Following table
shows the past host cities.

───────────────────────

Previous Fora

───────────────────────

1st(1997)

Marrakesh, Morocco

-Theme: Vision for Water, Life and the Environment

-Participants:
About 500 entries from 63 countries

2nd(2000)

Netherlands, The Hague

-Theme: From
Vision to Action

-Participants:
About 5,700 entries from 114 countries

3rd(2003)

Japan, Kyoto

-Theme: A Forum
with a Difference

-Participants:
About 24,000 entries from 183 countries

4th(2006)

Mexico, Mexico City

-Theme: Local
Actions for a Global Challenge

-Participants:
About 20,000 entries from 168 countries

5th(2009)

Turkey, Istanbul

-Theme: Bridging
Divides For Water

-Participants:
About 33,000 entries from 192 countries

6th(2012)

France, Marseille

-Theme: Time for
Solutions

-Participants:
About 34,000 entries from 173 countries

Total of 16 main themes, which will establish the
core framework of the 7th World Water forum, were selected at the end of last
year. Those themes have been grouped with four main subjects such as Water Security, Water for Development and
Prosperity, Water for Sustainability, and Constructing Feasible Implement Mechanisms. Detailed information of
the 16 Themes shows in the upcoming table.The Science & Technology process is newly
included in the 7th World Water Forum to make sure the implementation of
solutions drawn from the previous editions of the forum. By hosting the Forum, Daegu is
expected to become a global leader in the water sector.